Mer-Killer
by ColonelKillaBee
Summary: Freyr Mer-Killer, a young Nord man of twenty two finds himself in the Imperial City where he is an eternal outsider. In his stay while his father fights in the Arena, he finds companionship in the unlikely form of a Dunmer woman, who's also an outsider. Freyr for being who he is, and she for the same, as well as something else. Whether they find love or ruin is still up in the air.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

It was another ordinary day for Freyr in the Imperial City. Bad mood, tired, and a dead deer slumped over his shoulder. Since his mother was getting older, and his father was busy with guard duty, it fell to him to get meat for his mother to sell in her general goods store. She was the only one that sold meat along with her other items, which set her business apart from the others. Freyr knew nothing about growing food, so meats and pelts was all he could get for her. Walking through the city he saw what he always did for the past month. Random races, mostly Imperial, all looking at him like a bear just walked through the front gate.

His mother insisted that he change his appearance so he didn't stand out so much, but that day for him would never come. He looked like a typical Nord from the north. Long brown hair, two braids to the side on his temples, gruff beard, although his was light as it just came in, and something that the milkdrinkers of this land did not wear, warpaint. He wore two red swirls on his cheek that trailed down his neck and ended with a smaller swirl facing the opposite direction of the one on his cheek. His "clothes" was merely a set of steel greaves with a burgundy cloth covering the middle and a large steel mid-covering on his waist held in place with a series of buckles and a large belt with a medallion in the middle with some sort of beast on it.

He also had steel boots and four steel circles on his right lower arm, two on his left as well as a steel ring on his right and left arm around his biceps. It looked a lot like what the depiction of the god Tsun would wear and was a popular warrior's attire in Skyrim. On his hilt were two Skyforge steel axes, which used to belong to his father, as did the outfit on his days of adventuring. Skyforge steel was the best steel you could get in Skyrim. In Tamriel. Forged from the fires of a special forge rumored to have magical properties of some kind of ancient unknown magic.

His father was already out it seemed as he walked into the shop which doubled as their home. The shop was called "Sylga's Assortment". It was a decent sized home, having the main shop room as soon as you walked in, Freyr's room to the left with a double door keeping it closed, and his parent's quarters being upstairs led up by a stone staircase going towards the entrance. Under that was the basement. Sylga liked him to have the deer cut and gutted before she woke up. The sight of it always made her uneasy. Freyr put down his hunting bow and quiver, then grabbed his gutting and skinning daggers, and then the gut bucket, and went down in his basement to prepare the meat. After about an hour in a half he was pretty much finished. The skinning was a bit tougher to pull off than normal, but all around, it wasn't too bad. _Damn it, ruptured the bladder. That's gonna smell. No matter, I'll dump this all out later._

Freyr washed himself off in the large bucket of water his mother always left for him, and then he took the cut meat and pelt up to the counter for Sylga to take care of the rest. He left the head for father to later stuff to be made into a trophy. Those sold pretty quickly to people who couldn't be bothered to hunt themselves.

"Meat and pelt's all good to go, ma! You need me, I'll be out of the city by the lake." Sylga walked down from the stairs as he called out to her.

"Not so fast, did you put on those new clothes I got you?" She said, calling down from upstairs. Freyr's brow knit from annoyance at the mention of the latest Imperial fashion his mom left him in his room.

"No, I'll wear what I have now. I'm twenty two for Shor's sake. You'll be trying to dress me when I'm an old man." Sylga raised her voice above his.

"You can't expect people to change if you won't."

"Then let them stay the way they are. I'm a Skyrim born Nord, and I'll never change. Now leave me be. I'm going."

Freyr walked out after grabbing his axes off the holsters by the door and sheathed them on each side of his waist. _This city is filled with such weakness. This place is too soft. I'm never going to improve my skill in battle living in this place. And father won't let me join the Arena. I hate to say it, but if he falls in battle, he can't stop me then…_ Freyr took out the pouch of gold in his belt. He didn't tell his parents but he was secretly betting on all of his father's matches. Watching and studying him as he collected gold to save up enough coin to get some ebony waraxes.

He only had One hundred and twelve gold pieces however, so he had a long ways to go. _And once I get enough gold from my winnings as a contender, I'm moving on my own. Maybe back to Skyrim. Or to Chorrol to join the Fighters Guild._ Freyr approached the door leading out of the market district, and was "greeted" by a Redguard Imperial guard.

"Good to see you, savage."

"Same to you, milkdrinker. My pa knows you call me that?" Freyr already wasn't in well with the guards, which means he wasn't doing well with his father. Every incident, every fight, every rude remark he spoke around them was relayed to his pa, who worked as a guardsman when he wasn't in the Arena. Nothing got past him. Including the fight he picked with the Redguard which landed him a night in Imperial jail. Issued of course by his very own pa.

_In Syrim, fights were no big deal. Here, I can't even breathe without the guards hopping on my ass._ Freyr walked past the Redguard soldier after exchanging scowls and made his way to the arena with no further ado. Freyr walked slowly with his hands locked behind his head looking at the clouds as he often did, imagining that the shapes were images of the gods, and that he could see Shor's ghost battling Alduin. Except he was Shor in the clouds, fighting the dragon with a mighty battle-axe. He imagined this for a while, pretending that he was now twirling the axe to send away the dragon's mighty "cloud fires", when someone suddenly bumped into him and interrupted his concentration, causing the Shor/Freyr to stop twirling and be burned to a crisp. Freyr angrily looked down and snarled at the one who smacked into him.

"Damnit, watch where you..., where…" Freyr was for a moment lost for words at the sight below him. A strange mer woman with light greyish skin and deep red eyes was sitting on the ground. She had long dark red hair that went perfectly with her deep reddish black eyes, and was wearing a velvet colored corset gown with golden trimming and dark bluish turquoise sleeves. The skirt attached to it was the same color as the sleeves and went down to her ankles. Her shoes were of the same elegance as the rest of her outfit, and matched her corset. The woman was now scowling at him as he stared at her like she was some kind of daedra.

"Uh, hello? Are you going to just stand there, or help me up? You act like you've never seen a dunmer before." Freyr gave her a perplexed look, still staring.

"That's because I haven't. You often come smacking into people?"

"I didn't see you. Now are you going to help me up, or not?" said the Dunmer. _You didn't see me? How does that work, I'm a head taller than she is._ Freyr was as perplexed by her race as he was her clothes. In the Imperial city what she was wearing was that of middle class, but to Freyr she looked like a noble. Freyr reluctantly stuck his hand out for the girl to grab. Her hands were incredibly soft, he noticed. As was the rest of her body, he soon found out as she pressed herself to him when she got up.

"Oops, sorry about that. Stumbled into you again." Freyr moved on, however and continued without saying a word. The Dunmer girl was a bit put off by his rudeness, but she followed him regardless. Freyr could hear her walking behind him, to his annoyance. He had grown used to most people ignoring him in the city, and didn't much like that someone was intruding on his solitariness.

"So, are you going to the Arena to place a bet?" asked the woman from behind. Freyr didn't answer at first, but finally gave a grunt in response.

"Are you always this closed off? You didn't even ask me my name." Freyr stopped walking for a second and turned around to the woman, still confused.

"I don't get it. Most people in this city would have run off by now. Aren't you afraid of me or something? I am a Nord. Aren't you afraid that I'll eat your babies or rape you? You're a Dunmer too. Our people don't have the best of history."

"And what of our history? I care not of what others did, even if the ancestors are greatly revered in my culture. And as far as baby eating goes, I am Dunmer. The Imperials don't see us much differently. I just want someone to talk to while I go to watch the matches. Is that so much trouble?" Freyr studied the woman for a while; trying to read her, see if there was some ulterior motive or something. All could focus on however was her looks. Despite not being a Nord, she was very beautiful, he thought. Her light greyish skin had areas where some natural pink hue came through, mainly in her lips, giving them the appearance of being very soft. Especially when she smiled, which she now was doing as she could tell the big Nord was checking her out. Freyr quickly snapped out of it and cleared his throat, which made the woman chuckle.

"Um, no that's fine. I suppose." Freyr's family wasn't all that fond of elves, which made it that much stranger to him that they came here, but they didn't hate them, even if they were a tad bit racist. Not that this was abnormal even in the Imperial City. Something he found out quick when they arrived.

"And?" said the woman.

"And what?" said Freyr.

"Aren't you going to ask me my name?" she asked. Freyr sighed in frustration as he wanted to get to the arena in a hurry to see his father fight.

"Fine, what's your name?" The Dunmer woman pouted and crossed her arms as she walked past him.

"Well, I'm not gonna tell you with that attitude of yours! Ask me nicely and I may consider it."

Freyr's brow nit in frustration as he ran behind the girl. _The nerve of…she just told me to ask and now she won't tell? What is it with these damn elves! I don't care about her name anyway. _Freyr wasn't being truthful with himself and he knew it. This girl was the first person since he got here that acknowledged him in a friendly manner. It wasn't till then that he realized how alone he actually felt. The Dunmer quickly made her way in before he did, leaving him alone with the bet taker. Freyr took out his pouch of gold and gave it to the Bosmer waiting. He was an odd sort, always smiling, and he often repeated the same exact phrase when mentioning bets. It was clear the fellow had been on this job for quite a while.

"Ah yes, so you must be here to take a bet!" Freyr rolled his eyes in annoyance and frustration fro the repeated response.

"Yes, I'm here to make a bet. I'm ALWAYS here to make a bet. Is that so shocking, elf?" The Bosmer kept his same facial expression, which creeped Freyr out, and of course angered him.

"Sir, I am only doing my job. Now, will it be th-" Freyr didn't give him time to finish.

"The blue team. All the gold in this pouch. See you later." Freyr walked up the stairs leading to the right. He walked up to the balcony and stood next to his new acquaintance and listened as the crowd roared at the match that was still going on. An Argonian rogue was fighting fiercely against a big ugly Orc he recognized as the grand champion. The mer Agronak-Gro-Malog was clearly toying with him as he sidestepped the Argonians dual daggers and tail swipes with ease. The champion fought with sword and shield of elven make, and he wore a special gold and red variation of the arena's competitor outfit. The Argonian was bloodied and tiring out quickly, and was about to make a desperate final maneuver. He charged towards the champion, then leaped into the air and did a spinning attack striking at Agronak with his daggers and tail.

Agronak who was growing bored ended it quickly by blocking all the strikes with his shield, and then hitting the Argonian between the eyes with his shield's side. The Argonian went down in an instant, then the champion walked up to him, and quickly plunged his blade into the lizard man's neck. The crowd let out a thunderous cheer at the sight of the challenger's blood wetting the sand. This being a Champion match, Agronak got to take the weapons and armor of the Argonian, but he left it. The Argonian fought with mere leather armor and iron daggers. It seemed odd that the Champion would give the creature the time of day to Freyr. _Must be a slow week, I guess._

The Dunmer woman standing next to him hadn't paid too much attention to the match. Her mind was preoccupied with other matters. She was admiring the Nord from the corner of her eyes. His large frame was powerful and had a dominant presence to him that made him hard not to notice or look at in a room. His barrel chest and the upper part of his stomach that she could see looked like it was chiseled from marble. And it was donned with a light layer of brown hair that made her want to run her fingers through them. She let her mind wander further and envisioned the large Nord wrapping his arms around her, and the image made her close her eyes as she was lost in thought. The crowd's loud screams awoke her from her daydream to her dismay, and her mind turned back to Freyr.

"So, why are you in the Imperial City?" the woman said nonchalantly as she moved her hand next to his on the balcony. Freyr didn't notice it, as his mind was on his father.

"My father came to fight in the Arena. My mother and I followed." Said Freyr. The woman was waiting for him to ask what it was that she was doing, but the announcer went off, yelling out with his magically enchanted voice, although it was evident that Freyr would not have asked even if it had not.

"AAAnd from the blue corner we have straight from the freezing mountains of Skyrim….. Tolfi MMMMer-Killer! This man has already slain twelve people in the short month that he has been here! Who will win? The yellow team or the blue team? Let's….find out!" _Mer-Killer? That is his father's name? Well, that explains a few things…Still…He doesn't seem to dislike me. He's just incredibly clueless._ Madura let out a small smile even though she was a bit annoyed.

When it came to fighting and the Arena, Freyr was almost completely oblivious to anything else going on. This was no different. As soon as that announcer called out his father's name, his mind was completely transfixed. As the gates dropped, Freyr's pride in his father soared. He came walking out of that room as if he was Ysmir himself. He was wearing the traditional blue team heavy armor, and besides the hair being cut down military style like that of a lot of the legion men, he of course looked just like Freyr if Freyr was clean cut.

He too fought with two axes like Freyr, and he walked out slowly, twirling them in his hands to feel the balance while eying his prey. His opponent was another Orc wielding a large war hammer. It was of course of Orsimer make, and he wielded it as if he was holding merely a stick. From where Freyr stood, it looked as though the Orc was a head taller than he was, but Tolfi did not mind. After some slow circling, the two clashed. Tolfi ducked under the first initial swipe to his head, then swiped upwards towards his jugular. The Orc tilted his head backwards to dodge it, then tried to hit Freyr's father with the pommel of his hammer. Tolfi pivoted on his feet, and sent a side swipe once more with his axe in his left hand, and this time the axe makes a mark. The blood of the Orc sprayed out over Tolfi's arm, and the crowd instinctively cried out in awe. The sound was overwhelming to Freyr. Even after a month of hearing it, he had never grown tired of the chills down his spine that came from the thunderous shockwave of sound from the masses of the arena.

"Yeeaa! Show him, father!" Freyr didn't mind calling out, as he knew his father wouldn't hear from all the noise. The mer woman watched him as the fight went on and couldn't help but laugh at his adorable boyish excitement. It was strange to see that in someone so huge, she thought. She wasn't sure what drew her to someone so unlike her people, maybe loneliness, but she couldn't help it. Someone so wild and bold, so untamed by the life of this city…it was a welcome change. Meanwhile in the Arena, the Orc grew frustrated at being bested, and charged straight toward Tolfi. His father hit the hammer on the side to block the attack, and for a while the two went into a wretched dance of death, swinging, dodging, parrying, both fighting intensely to end the other's life. In that time, the Orc managed to get a rather powerful hit on Tofi's left shoulder, which made him drop his left axe in pain. This made Freyr's eyes bulge as he put his hands on his head with his mouth gaped. He never once had seen anyone land a blow on him before in his life.

_Get your shit together, pa._ After that, Tolfi got more serious, more determined. He went back into the fight with his single axe, and was moving just as fast as before. Tolfi after a while could see that the Orc was tired, and used that opportunity to score another blow. He ducked under another hammer swing, and this time swung his axe as hard as he could into the Orc's gut. The armor blocked the axe and prevented it from cutting, but Tolfi managed to break some ribs. His father laughed arrogantly and backed up, waiting for the Orc to gain his composure. The Orc was bloodied, but not down for the count yet. The mighty Orc after catching his breath dashed towards Tolfi, and heaved his large hammer up into the air, then let the weight fall down towards Tolfi's skull. Tolfi laughed at the slow attack and side stepped it, letting the hammer hit the ground. After that, he stomped on the weapon, forcing it to the ground, then he ran forward and head butted the Orc in his nose, knocking him down on his back. Before the Orc could get up, Tolfi jumped up and landed on the Orc's chest. This knocked all the fight out of the Orc. Afterwards, Tolfi took his axe and slammed it right down the middle of the Orc's face in between his eyes. The battle was over.

"Yeeaa! That's my pa!" Tolfi looked over in his direction before he walked off. Freyr didn't realize how noticeable he was from the balcony even from this distance, but he did not care. A part of him wanted his father to see despite the scolding he'd likely get later. The last fight was a good one, and he couldn't help but see himself in his father on that field. His father seemed angry at first. He knew Freyr wanted to follow in his footsteps, but he did not want him dying early before he lived his life. But he got over it and couldn't help but feel pride at his son seeing his victory. Tolfi raised his axe in the air and let out a battle cry to his son, and Freyr let out one of his own. The cheering and yelling filled Freyr's spirit with glee as it always did. _I see why you wanted to come here. Being a great warrior in Skyrim is one thing. But here, you can show all of Tamriel what you can do. That will be me very soon. Looks like there is at least one good thing about this place. Mom's gonna kill you when she finds out you were injured however…_

The Dunmer had seen battles before in the Arena, but it was something altogether to be standing next to the son of a contender. The father and son's battle cries had terrified her, but it had also excited her, lighting something up inside her that she wasn't sure of at first. The sound of Freyr's deafening call sent chills down her spine, and made her breath catch when it was released.

"That was amazing! Your father is something else." She said finally. Freyr finally acknowledged the peculiar creature before him, now that his mind was off of the Arena. She really was something entirely from what he was used to dealing with.

"Yes, my father is something else. I hope to one day join their ranks myself and fight in the Arena." The woman gave him a mischievous smile as she walked closer to him, laying a hand on one of his axes.

"I'd love to watch you contend someday. I love watching the matches." Freyr couldn't help but smile at the way she was looking at him with those dark red eyes of hers. She started inching her way closer to him slowly, while lifting his axe up and down in the steel ring it was holstered in suggestively. Freyr was caught off guard by her flirtatious manner and started to blush. Freyr remembered where he was and who, or rather what he was with and cleared his throat.

"Eherm, uh, like the matches do you? Perhaps we can talk about them some at the table?" The dunmer chuckled again at his embarrassment and gestured with her head for him to follow her to the table. To Freyr's great surprise, the mer had in fact been watching the games as she said. She named every last fight that went on in the month that he had moved here, including the fights of his father. Like himself, she had a hate for the yellow team, although her reasoning was simply because her favorite color was blue, which Freyr thought was rather hilarious. The two stayed in the Arena talking for minutes, which turned to hours. Having so much to say to someone else for so long, they had plenty to talk about, mainly things concerning the snooty Imperials and how they were treated like second class citizens.

"I know, I know! It's like they think they made the Empire by themselves. They're quick to forget that my people are the strong arm of their precious legion."

"Yes, that is true. And they forget that mine are the reason why the Altmer were defeated. A lot of the people here regard you as savages, not that you're doing much to change their minds on that, Mer-killer." The woman said this light heartedly and gave him a smile when she said it. The two had made their way to the stone floor beside the wall, ignoring the matches as they went on through the day. Freyr didn't realize it while they were talking, but the woman had worked her legs over to his closer and closer until eventually they rested over his, draping his legs with her fine silken dress. Freyr blushed and rubbed his head when she mentioned his family surname.

"Oh, you caught that did you? It's just a family name, it doesn't mean a-" The woman put her finger over his mouth and shushed him, then ran her finger down the scruff of his light beard before laughing slightly.

"I know, Nord. I know." Freyr felt a bit uneasy. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had spent the better part of the day talking with this stranger, and she on top of that was an elf. He started wondering if she wasn't an elf would he question how things were going. Probably not, he realized. But surely she had some issue with him. He couldn't imagine her folks would appreciate her flirting with a Nord.

"Why are you so trusting of me, woman? You don't even know who I am." The mer felt shy at the question, but not for too long. She looked up at the Nord who still had a look of curiosity on him like she was some strange animal, but it was softer than before. Less defensive. She smiled softly and scooted over to him, resting her red head on his strong shoulders.

"Do I need to know you that well? You won't hurt me…right? Mer-Killer?" Freyr at that moment again felt how painfully alone he was in the Imperial City. Everyone was always so frightened of him or just scornful. But the way that this one looked at him now, with her dark red pleading eyes…he could see it in her too. She was just desperately tired of feeling alone, being an outsider. There were other Nords in the city, but they didn't stick together at least not in the Imperial City. Freyr assumed it must've been somewhat the same for her too.

"Won't your parents…you know. Be upset since I'm a Nord?" The Dunmer woman laughed and poked Freyr in the ribs, using it as an excuse to put her hands on him and rub his sides.

"Who said anything about parents, hmm? I'm only flirting with you. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Besides, I live on my own. And I don't care that you're a Nord."

"But you…and I, and we…" Freyr started blushing hard when he thought he misread what the Dunmer woman was going for, which is exactly what she wanted. His blushing face looked so adorable to her, with him being so fierce looking and wild, but no more unsusceptible to the charms of a woman than anyone else.

"Yea, I know what you thought silly man, but if you want that, you're gonna have to work harder." Freyr was about to protest, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the crowd erupting once more, which made him look at the sky, and he saw that it was beginning to get dark. Freyr started to stand up from their spot on the floor by the wall, and she followed suit.

"I…I have to go anyway, I need to go hunting to get fresh meats for my mother's shop."

"Oh, you hunt? What a coincidence, so do I!" said the mer woman.

"What? No you don't." said Freyr, remembering how soft her hands were.

"Hehe, okay you caught me. Maybe you could teach me sometime." The woman gave him a mischievous smile and pulled on one of his braids to draw his face near her. Freyr moved his face closer to the exotic wonder before him as his eyes were closed, letting his body overrule his mind's objections.

"You never told me your name."

"You first, Mer-Killer." She said, giggling slightly after she did. Freyr had never felt ashamed before of his surname until now. Before he took such pride in it, as his family's lineage was claimed to be the same as the war chieftain Hoag Merkiller. The man who was known as "The Mouth of Mud", a powerful Tongue and feared Nord warrior. But now, hearing this Dunmer woman's sweet voice say it, all he felt was guilt.

"Freyr. My name is Freyr. What about you? What's…yours…" The woman opened her eyes and saw him drawing near to her, and then she looked behind her to the door and bit her lip mischievously. Turning back to him and putting her lips right before his, she said.

"Madura. Madura Trizen." Freyr smiled and said her name softly.

"Madura…." He felt her let go of the braid on his head, and when he opened his eyes, she was gone. Freyr was once again confused, and found himself wondering if he somehow scared her off. Whatever happened, whether she got bored of him, or if she was simply teasing him, one thing was for certain. She had left an impression on the young Nord. "Madura Trizen."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

It was a foggy morning the next day when Freyr came back from his hunting trip. Which was appropriate, because clouded was exactly how Freyr's mind was. Freyr had thought about his time with the strange elf woman all throughout the rest of the previous day, and it wasn't any different for him this morning. Kicking through the gates into the Market District with two deer slumped over the young Nord's back, Freyr mumbled to himself, "Stupid elf woman. What was I thinking? She's an elf! A Dunmer! I hope father didn't take notice of her on the balcony next to me. I don't know what he'd say. Nothing good. And mother…Me, getting chummy with a mer, then getting stood up no less! Stupid, stupid. Well, whatever. Madura…she left, probably just looking to make a fool of me. So it's done."

He wouldn't admit it, but the thought of not seeing the woman again actually saddened him. He found himself having more in common with her then a lot of the Nords of this part of the city. Many of them were just trying to fit in here, and didn't want anything to do with someone like Freyr, a worshiper of the traditional gods, and so thoroughly un-imperialized. Nords like that belonged in Bruma, he'd heard some people say behind his back. Or back in Skyrim with the rest of the uncivilized heathens. Freyr as usual ignored the looks from the early birds in the streets and went straight to his home in the Market district, which was right in front of the only inn in the district. Once Freyr had done his usual skinning and gutting, Freyr made sure not to call up this time to his mother upstairs, but of course she knew he was there anyway, and caught him just as he was about to leave.

"Not so fast, son." Said Sylga just as he put a hand on the door knob. She was wearing a blue and purple shirt and skirt with the sleeves rolled up and an apron to match with golden colored trimmings. She had blonde hair with green eyes. She looked young for her age, which was 40, but she appeared to be thirty two.

"What's the hurry, son? Haven't seen you in practically a day, and you didn't even take the time to wash properly…" Freyr took a look at his hands, and realized she was right. Freyr knew part of why he was in such a rush was to avoid talking about Madura in case his father did notice, but also a part of him wanted to go searching for her, but he didn't realize it at that moment.

"Nothing, I'm just…." Freyr couldn't even think of a good excuse.

"You just…what? Thought you'd mosey on out without explaining why you disobeyed your father when he asked that you stay from the Arena?" Freyr sighed in relief. It seemed his parents hadn't talked about the mer woman after all.

"Yes, I'm sorry. But seriously, you two need to get over it. I'm twenty two. I'll be moving out on my own soon. Even the Imps bring their little children out to see the games. If I choose to follow my father's footsteps, that's my decision. If I die, then I'll rest peacefully in Sovngarde. That's all there is to it. What ever happened to "We Nords don't fear death for our loved ones, we welcome it?" Straight from father's mouth."

"I know." Said Sylga weakly after a moment's pause. Freyr was about to continue his objection, but stopped when he realized she actually agreed for once.

"R-really? No arguing, no calling me ungrateful, or fool hardy, hot blooded or any of that?" he said.

"Nope, none of it. Your father agreed it was well past time we stopped trying to keep you from it. You're a Nord. We'd have failed. Besides, maybe then you can let out some of that aggression and wind up in Imperial prison less, eh?" She said as she ruffled his hair.

"Heh, I doubt it. Not with that guard that's always on my back." Said Freyr.

"Oh you mean K'avar? Your father told me about that asshole. No one likes him. You'll just have to do your best to avoid him."

"Or I can just keep beating him to a pulp until he learns to leave me alone."

"Somehow I doubt that will work, seeing how he always gets the last hit on you when you're locked up and can't move. Just let it go, Freyr."

"Yea whatever." Freyr crossed his arms and grinned arrogantly. "He knows he can't beat me in a fair fight. Who gets the last hit doesn't matter if it isn't on equal grounds. He knows it, we know it, everyone else knows it. So I'm not concerned. Now I gotta get going, ma. Matches are starting up soon." Freyr gave his mother a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet, then plopped her down to take off out the door.

"One more thing before you go…" she said in a low accusing voice. Freyr's stomach dropped as he slowly turned around.

"Yes? What is it?"

"A strange woman came by yesterday while you were out. She said she was looking for you. A Dunmer woman." _How did she know I lived here? And why did she come around asking for me? Doesn't she know better than that?_ "Uh, really? Strange. I don't know any Dunmer woman."

"Really? She knew you pretty well it seemed. And Tolfi said he saw her standing next to you on the balcony. What are you hiding, Freyr?" Sylga narrowed her eyes and further intensified her glare. "If I didn't know any better…."

"Oh, right! The Dunmer woman. She…was asking for hunting lessons. I told her I'd show her for a price. That's all." Freyr wasn't the type that would make a good liar, but luckily for him, his facial expressions were usually stony and stoic, when he wasn't angry that is, so he didn't give off any cues when he lied. Now was no different, and Sylga accepted his tale because of it. After letting out a relieved sigh, Sylga said.

"Whew, okay. That's fine I guess. As long as it's in the day, I don't want you hanging out with a mer at night. Who knows what could happen. For a minute there, I thought you were gonna tell me you two were…you know. I couldn't imagine that." Freyr grew agitated not because his mother didn't like the idea of him with a mer, as that was expected, but because she was intruding again. But he kept it to himself.

"Yea, that would be…" Freyr trailed off at the end. "Anyway, I'm off."

"Ok, and don't forget to wash up properly, son." Freyr was just about to do that when he noticed that mother hadn't mentioned Tolfi's injury…

"Mother…you didn't notice anything when dad came in today? With his arm?"

"No, should I have? What happened?"

"I'll let him tell you. Bye ma." _That's what he gets for telling my business._

Freyr had wandered around the Market district for almost an hour after cleaning up, being unsure of what he should do. He already told the Dunmer woman that he visited the Arena daily. If he didn't go, she'd know he was avoiding her. Which he was, partly. He did want to see her again, but her being a Dunmer was still stuck in his head. His parent's reaction to it was the main worry in his head. She didn't frequent the Arena as much as him, but it was clear from what his mother said that she was looking for him. Why, he did not know. She couldn't have been that lonely, as there were other Dunmer in the city, and they weren't all imperialized, from what she told him. Regardless, Freyr figured that he would give the Arena a few hours by burning some time in the Inn. _Hopefully then, she won't be there._ Freyr knew that he hoped he was wrong.

Freyr made his way back to the direction of his house and walked into the Merchant's Inn, which luckily for him wasn't crowded, seeing as how it was early in the morning. Upon entry, all there was was the barkeep and an old fat and balding Imperial in a corner by himself. Freyr took a seat on the opposite side of the room and waited for the barkeep to come to him. Luckily gold outweighed everything else in this city, which made the Imperial barkeep at least pleasant to deal with when ordering Freyr's drinks. The man didn't have to ask what Freyr wanted. He knew, and not because Freyr was a regular either.

"How many meads, sir?"

"Four tankards full. Thank you." Said Freyr. Once the man brought the drinks, Freyr's mind receded from everything else. This was the one time in the day where Freyr could imagine he was back home in Skyrim. Freyr let himself crack a smile before he closed his eyes and dipped his cup back to let the sweet liquid pass his lips.

"Great mead, isn't it?" Freyr set his tankard back after he downed its contents in a matter of seconds. After wiping his mouth while his eyes were still closed, he sighed, then said.

"Whew, not as good as back home b-" Freyr's eyes shot open in confusion and looked to his left. Sitting next to him was none other than Madura, drinking one of his meads.

"Where the…how did…."

"I'm staying upstairs in this inn for a while. I work at Divine Elegance, and thought it would be easier to just come here so I don't have to walk so far. Good to see you too, Mer-Killer." She said, laughing again at his surname.

"That's quite a coincidence…" said Freyr suspiciously, but not negatively. "My mother told me you were looking for me. How'd you know where I lived?"

"Her shop was the only one that I knew of that sold fresh meat as well as general goods in the Market District. That and it was the newest shop here, so that wasn't very hard to find out. Nice woman, if a bit closed off. But I figure that's because I'm a mer, no? You were that way too. At first. But look at you now…." Freyr didn't notice until she said this, but his eyes were dead set on the cut of her breasts in her velvet corset. Freyr blushed hard, and looked around to see if someone had noticed him looking. A few more patrons had walked in from upstairs, but none were paying attention to the two outsiders in the corner.

"Aww, are you blushing? That's so cute to see from someone so big." Smiling, Madura reached over and pinched Freyr's ear, tugging on it as she did.

"Ow, quit!" he said unconvincingly in the middle of laughing. "My mother used to do that when I was younger."

"I can't blame her, it's hard not to with young people." She said. Freyr raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking about her response.

"Young people? Interesting to say when you are yourself. I mean, I know you're a little older than me, but come on. How old are you, Twenty nine? Thirty two?" He said before drinking another tankard. Madura started to blush very deeply, which for her was quite the accomplishment, given her grey skin, even though it was light colored.

"Aww, quit flattering me, Freyr. Twenty nine, thirty two…no, I'm eighty two." Freyr immediately sprayed all the mead that was in his mouth out in a spout, accidently wetting another customer at a table in front of them. Another Nord like himself. And old grumpy looking man with long greyed hair. Freyr was coughing, trying to repeat the words while Madura was laughing hysterically. The Nord didn't find it nearly as funny however, and was about to get up, but thought better of it with his old age, and just shrugged it off.

"Hahahaha! You should buy that man a drink first before you wet his face! Hahahaha!"

"You-, you're serious? Eighty two?" he said, bewildered.

"Well, yea. I forget you don't know too many elves. Mer tend to have longer life expectancies than men do. I myself come from a family of good standing in Morrowind. Our family usually tends to live up to around two hundred and fifty years. But I'm a mage, so I'll probably go farther than that." Freyr stood silent for a while, staring at her skin, wondering how it was possible. Madura noticed the look in his eyes and saw that this was a hard concept for him to grasp.

"Mer mature slower than men do. So I'd be roughly the equivalent of 35 or so years to a human. Me being a mage also contributes somewhat to my youthful appearance. This…this isn't going to be a problem is it, Freyr?"

"…No, its…it's just going to take some time to get used to it. Is all." Madura smiled deeply now, clearly relieved by the answer.

"So, take some time, eh? That mean you planning on sticking around with me?" Freyr looked up from his tankard to her and stayed quiet for a while, trying to think of what to say. He didn't even think about it, but he realized he did intend to.

"I uh…So, Madura. I was wondering about something. You said that you were feeling alone yourself. Why is that? I know there are other Dunmer in the city and you said that they weren't all imperialized. So why can't you stick with them?" Now it was Madura's turn to stay quiet. She turned her dark red eyes from Freyr for a while, staring into the room, but not looking at it. It was a look that let Freyr see some of the long years in her that her skin couldn't reveal. Madura snapped out of her melancholic reminiscing when she noticed Freyr's curious worried look from the corner of her eye and quickly scooted over to him and put one of her legs over his.

"Perhaps that is something I can tell you when I get to know you better…" she said as she rubbed her leg on his. More people had started to come into the Inn, some people that Freyr noticed from his mother's shop, and Madura's flirting caused him to jump in his chair from embarrassment. Madura noticed his look of shame, and it made her feel rejected, unwanted. This embarrassed her in turn, and made her start to get defensive.

"Madura, stop. Someone may…."

"What? Someone may see? Worried that someone's gonna go tell your mother, Mer-Killer?" she said angrily, which caused a few heads to turn in the Inn. Freyr put his hand over his face and turned to Madura.

"No, it's not…I mean…"

"Humph! Let's get one thing straight. I'm not going to bother with you if you're going to let my race bother you. I only gave someone as young as you the time of day because I thought you had the mind of a man, not a boy." Freyr started to grow a little annoyed now, even a little angry at his manhood being challenged by an elf.

"I am a man. I am." He said.

"Humph. Could have fooled me." She removed her leg from his now from under the table. "Like I said, I don't want to have anything to do with you if you can't even flirt with me in public. I'm not some secret whore you can hide in your closet when you need me."

"Would you try and look at it from my perspective? You don't live with your parents. You don't have to worry about what they think. Y-"

"You're twenty two, Freyr, twenty two! That's young to me, but not that young. Who you choose to see is none of their damn business!"

"I know, it's just-"

"What? We're just sharing each other's company. It's not like I asked for your kid!"

"Shh! Lower your voice!" he said, placing his finger over his mouth.

"See!? You're not a man. You're a boy. A little, tiny wet behind the ears, scared momma's b-"Freyr finally had enough. If there was one thing that he couldn't resist, it was a challenge to prove his manhood. Freyr grabbed Madura by her arms and picked her up, placing her on his lap before pressing his lips to hers until her head was laying on the table now. At first she was put off because she was still angry at him, but she got over it quick, letting her back arch over his hand and letting his other arm cradle her head as the two were lip locked. This after all was a part of her plan. Freyr felt himself stirring as he felt her tongue slip in his mouth.

The taste of sweet mead on her lips didn't hurt things either, making him suck softly at them as she did the same. Freyr and Madura started really getting into it, massaging each other's tongue as they worked their lips together, occasionally breaking off to take a breath. Freyr was nervous as hell that word was going to get out to his mother. He knew very well that Imperials liked to gossip, because he could hear it all day in the streets, but right now his body was in control, and he was powerless to stop. Besides, Madura had her arms locked around his neck. He wasn't going anywhere for a while. Eventually the two started to become more and more aware of the murmuring in the Inn, and they broke off. Madura sat up in his lap, blushing once again as she cleared her throat.

"Well…I may have been wrong about you, Mer-Killer."

"This is so strange. We just met." He said, slightly grinning.

"I know. But life's too short for you to worry about such things." She said in a thoughtfully sorrowful tone. Madura looked behind her to some of the staring faces in the Inn, and then quickly turned back to Freyr. "So what now?"

"Well, I told ma I was taking you to learn to hunt. And you said you wanted to learn. Want to come with me?"

Madura put her right hand on his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. "Sounds like fun. Let's get out of here." Freyr wasted no time getting out of the Inn. After Freyr went and got his pack filled with hunting gear and a bedroll, Freyr ran his way towards the outside gates with Madura right behind him. Very right behind him, as she managed to catch up to him and jump on his back. She was laughing the whole time, as she hadn't been this happy in quite some time.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Walking out of the city, the pair had gotten a lot more glances their way than normal. The sight of a Nord and a Dunmer clearly not being an ordinary thing, even in the Empire where various cultures are mixed. Madura was still firmly locked to Freyr's neck, dangling from his back on their way out of the city, and she was intent on staying that way.

"You just gonna stay back there the whole way?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"If you had a big muscle bound Nord willing to carry you, you'd understand." Madura playfully nuzzled the side of Freyr's fuzzy cheek, laughing in his ears. "Why, am I too heavy?"

"No, no. I'm just…confused. Is all."

"About what exactly?"

"About you and me. What are we? Together, or…I don't know. I mean, I just met you, you just met me. I don't really know much of anything about you. Like at all. Lik-"

"Shhh…" She said as she clasped a hand over Freyr's mouth. "There'll be plenty of time for all that. Besides, you're young. There isn't a great deal of things that have happened in your life, and I don't want to rush learning about it. So let's just take our time with that, and for now just have fun. Are you having fun, Freyr?"

"Call me crazy, but being a beast of burden isn't exactly how I intended to spend my day."

"Oh?" Madura climbed up to Freyr's shoulder and hitched her dress up some so that she could sit comfortably atop of his shoulders while she rested her warm midsection on the back of Freyr's neck through her dress. Madura pulled back Freyr's blushing face and gave him a slightly messy open kiss, being careful to give him only a hint of tongue, but not all just yet. "Now are we having fun?" That left Freyr with nothing to complain about for a while on their trip, which took them north of the Imperial City. On their way there, Madura was looking all around them, looking at the forest and its many colors. Green, yellow and orange leaves signified the changing season, and it was falling all around them. There were beams of bright intense light peering down through the trees and its dense shade, but not much. Freyr and Madura, or rather Freyr was walking on the road however, and was fully exposed to the bright unrelenting heat.

"Ah, this sun is killing me! And I'm a Dunmer! I'm used to heat, and even I can't take this. Can we take a break?"

"A break? I'm the one that's carrying you! I should be asking for a-"

"Oh, but it's hot! Can't we go and relax in the shade for a while?" Madura grinded up on the back of Freyr's neck while she pleaded, but Freyr was having none of it.

"No. Hunting is serious work. We hunt, then we rest."

"We already passed like three deer and four rabbits! When are we gonna start hunting?"

"Huh? How do you know that?" he asked, peering up skeptically.

"Silly Nord, I'm a mage. I used a spell to detect living things while you were walking."

"Well, why in the hell didn't you say something then?" Madura put a finger over her lip while she pondered the question. "Well?" asked Freyr impatiently.

"I dunno, you didn't ask." Freyr's face buckled with frustration as he glared up at her, which only made her laugh hysterically, putting extra stress on the Nord's neck.

"Ah, would you stop shaking? Do you see any wildlife around now?"

"Nope. All gone. Missed your shot."

"You're really starting to annoy me."

"And I, Mer-Killer am starting to get hot. Now can we please go in the shade?"

"Sure." Madura looked down at him in surprise at the answer.

"Really?" she said pleadingly.

"No." Madura started to sulk as she lay her head down on top of Freyr's. She stayed quiet for a while, almost falling to sleep from the heat during the trip. Freyr started to wonder how long this little fling would last, which was funny since it had only been about a day and already she was starting to get on his nerves. Except she wasn't. That had been an act he put on, as he liked hearing her complain at him in a strange way. She may have been much older than he was, but it was clear she didn't do much hard work if she couldn't take a little heat. "You know, I should really be the one complaining. I'm from Skyrim. I used to live in Windhelm. That's as cold as it gets. You know what they called our side of the city? The Snow Quarter. Colder than a ice wraith's ass. I'm not used to heat at all."

"What in the blazes is an ice wraith, and where can I get one? Sounds wonderful right about now…" she replied languidly.

"It's some kind of frost demon or something. Like a spirit of the snow. Looks something like an ice skull with an ice bone tail. Floats around like a bee, and can rip through a man's chest if he lets it. We Nords hunt these things as a coming of age tradition. You haven't seen cold till you've felt its bite in the middle of a snow storm. That's one of the reasons why I don't wear a shirt or cloak here. Too damn hot."

"Mmm, why'd you have to say hot? I was lost in thought when you said frost." Freyr chuckled briefly at Madura's suffering.

"Isn't it hot in Morrowind?"

"At times, but the ash in the sky usually blocks the sun out. Depends on where in Morrowind you are at. I was in Vvardenfell."

"What's Vvardenfell like?" asked Freyr.

"Hoo boy, that's…a rather broad question. It would take a while to tell you everything. A lot more time than I have while not in the shade!" she proclaimed as she jumped back into a state of awareness and covered Freyr's eyes.

"Hey, cut that out! Move it!" cried Freyr as he grabbed at her hands. Freyr was about to pull her little hands off his face, so Madura squeezed his head with her arms as tight as she could.

"Ah, let go you little devil!" Madura couldn't be persuaded however and she chose to hold on as she was laughing maniacally.

"Agree to get in the shade and I'll let go."

"I have a better idea." Freyr started sprinting as fast as he could in a straight line, not paying attention to where he was going, which unfortunately for Madura was straight for a cliff. This caused Madura to squeeze his head just to keep from falling while he ran…an admittedly flawed plan.

"Stop it, you're going to kill us! Stop!"

"Let go of my head."

"Stop running and I will!"

"You first, Madura."

"I can't, I'll fall! STOP!" Freyr finally had enough, figuring that he scared Madura enough to keep her from complaining further. When she dropped her hands, Freyr's face grew pale, and he almost fell on his back with Madura under him.

"Why didn't you tell me I was about to run off the hillside?" he said. Looking down, he could see he was at the edge of the road as it started to curve. They would have tumbled all the way down. It was steep, but not too high. They would have likely died from their bodies impacting each other on the way down.

"You…didn't…ask…" Madura said angrily. Freyr was now laughing nervously in between panting caused mostly from being near death rather than his sprinting. Freyr continued the walk unhindered by complaining, as Madura had fallen to sleep after her shock and the combination of the heat and his rocking as they went. He didn't have far to walk. In fact it was only thirty minutes away, but he didn't tell her that. As once again, he kind of liked hearing her complain. It was strange, having the feeling that someone depended on you. Even stranger from someone older than he was. But it made him feel more like a man than ever before. He never saw Madura as someone that needed someone to depend on. Perhaps this was her way of taking a break. Someone to carry her for once instead of her carrying herself.

"Literally, it seems."

"What was that?" she said, eyes still closed.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep. We'll hunt when the sun starts to go down a bit."

"Shade?"

"Yep, shade." Madura smiled at that and went back to dosing off. Freyr laid out a blanket in a small clearing located in the woods and kneeled so Madura could get off. He had her lie down and continue to sleep in the hazy heat of the forest. It was still considerably less hot than direct sunlight. While she slept, Freyr began his hunting preparations, which mainly was just checking to make sure his weapons were fit for killing. He checked all his steel tipped arrows, which were in good condition, his bow, to make sure the string was strong and the wood of the bow was good. Sometimes in direct heat, the wood and string can weaken, but Freyr made sure not to leave it out too long, and he waxed the string and wood regularly, as well as storing it in his basement where it would be cool. He also of course had his steel axes that were holstered and always sharp, as he didn't use them very often for hunting unless he encountered a bear. He also had his skinning and gutting dagger as well.

Everything was ready to begin the hunt. Everything except the time of course. Normally he'd just sit there perfectly still and meditate. Sometimes if he was still enough, a woodland creature would wander its way past or nearby him, and this was what he tried to do now. But every time he tried, he couldn't help but open his eyes to look at the sleeping mer beside him. Her knees were pointing up as her legs were propped, and Freyr started eying the end of her dress. The young Nord let boredom and curiosity pass the time as he started to fantasize. He even came close to sleeping himself until he noticed he was dosing off with his hand holding himself, half aroused through the coth of his armor. Seeing that Madura was still asleep, Freyr finally succumbed to his curiosity and crept forward like a saber cat on the prowl. _"If I can just…peek."_ Freyr began to slowly lift up the end of her dress, but it was too dark. He'd have to lift it further…._"I don't think she's wearing any undergarments…let me…"_

"Are we going hunting now?" Madura said suddenly, her eyes still closed. Freyr scrambled off quickly, and surprisingly silent. As a hunter, Freyr was excellent at not making sounds when he didn't want to. Something unexpected for one of his size. Madura sat up now to see him pointing in the opposite direction, and her dress disturbed. When Freyr turned, he was greeted with a mischievous little smile from her. A knowing smile.

"Something funny?" he asked nervously.

"You are." Freyr started to blush, but turned before she noticed.

"Whatever. Anyway, the sun's starting to go down a bit, so we should be able to hunt easier. Let's go. You can have my bow for now."

"That's okay, I brought my own."

"Huh? Where?" Before he could finish the question, Madura already summoned a purple shimmering dark bow in her hands, and a quiver had fastened around her as well. "How in Oblivion did you do that?"

"Exactly." she said, obviously proud of herself, having someone to impress with her skill.

"I don't get what you mean."

"Never you mind. Shall we go?" she sheathed the bow now and caused it to disappear. Freyr after a few moments finally grabbed his gear and moved in front of her.

"Okay, follow me." Freyr jogged his way through the woods, and surprisingly to him, Madura kept the pace up behind him. No complaining or the like. "Not getting tired? Working up a sweat in that dress of yours?"

"No, I'm good young one. Why do you ask?"

"Well, from all the complaining earlier…"

"Silly boy, I was exaggerating. Men like to feel that a woman is dependent on them to do something. That's why you didn't mind carrying me." Freyr wanted to go back there and slap her upside her head for annoying him so for no reason, but he had to admit he didn't mind it. Freyr kept jogging for another five minutes before he finally stopped and hopped up a tree with low branches. After climbing up a few of them, Freyr leaned back some on the tree and notched an arrow. Then he just stood there silently.

"What are you doing, do you see something?" asked Madura.

"No, but we will. Climb up on this branch next to me." Freyr stood where he was, perfectly still, leaving Madura put off and left with the task of climbing the tree in her dress. Freyr watched from the corner of his eye as she struggled up the lower branch and allowed himself to grin.

"This is harder than it looks, you know!"

"Perhaps next time you shouldn't wear a dress. You could always take it off."

"I think you know that isn't an option, Mer-killer." That shut him up, and caused him to blush again, which made Madura grin this time. After about an hour in the tree, which Madura commendably bared through, the bored mer finally spoke up. "When are we going to kill something?"

"When something passes by. If we stay still, an animal will eventually wander by."

"And how do you know that? I haven't seen anything with my spell this entire time." Freyr pointed over to some bushes ahead of him.

"See those? Berries. Deer like berries, and some seem to be missing. If it was a person who took them, they'd likely all be gone, and the leaves on the bushes seem to be chewed off as well, judging by the random gaps in it. They've been here before, and the trees all around us will keep our scent from being carried in the breeze. They could smell us otherwise if the wind blew in behind us towards the deer. All we have to do is wait." Freyr took out two meads from a satchel he had around his waist that contained some food as well. "Here, this will pass the time." Freyr suddenly took his right hand and cast out a thick cloud of frost from it onto the bottles, cooling the inside of the containers instantly. After Freyr tossed Madura a bottle, she almost dropped the bottle from how unexpectedly cold it was. Luckily the mead wasn't too close to his hand, or it would be all slushy inside.

"You're a mage too?" she asked confused.

"Gods no. We Nords can summon up a bit of Skyrim with us to use as a weapon against others. It only works once a day though."

"And you used it to cool your mead? Haha!" Madura couldn't help but be tickled at how stereotypical it was.

"Yea well, what else am I gonna use it for? Makes for good mead though." That Madura couldn't argue with, as the chilled mead was something she most certainly wasn't used to. "Yea, that's the one thing I miss the most about Skyrim. Chilled mead."

"I know a few frost spells you know. We can have a lot more of these."

"Really? Can you show me sometime? Oh, shh! A deer! Oh, it looks like it's close to one twenty. Good size." Freyr had pointed ahead to where a large white tailed deer was walking up to the bushes to eat, just as he imagined. Freyr stayed quiet for a while to make sure she'd stay. "Don't use that summoning trick. It's too loud. Want to take my bow?"

"I have a better idea. How about I demonstrate some of that magic I was telling you about?" Freyr didn't have time to answer as Madura hopped out of the tree. He wanted to call her back, as he thought she was going to scare the deer away, but before he could, Madura cast a large whirling frost cloud that moved away from her like a mini spinning blizzard. It was slow moving, but by the time the deer turned to see, it was already enveloped by the harsh chill, which made it fall over as its body was internally frozen.

"Wow, that's quite the talent…." He said as he approached the chilled area. The spell had faded, but the frozen effect still stayed in place long after.

"Whoops, I put a little too much strength into it. We'll have to wait a while t-…Freyr, what are you doing?!" Freyr hopped out the tree to retrieve the deer, not fearing the frost as she did.

"What do you mean? I'm getting the kill so we can get back to camp. Our work is done, and that's a big one."

"You numbskull, that spell is dangerous! It can give you frost bite or something! Didn't you see what it did to the deer? Wait for the spell to wear off." Freyr scoffed and simply shook his head as he made his approach. "Silly mer, I'm a Nord. This is an average day in Windhelm for me." He said as he walked towards the deer. As he did, the magic spread forth over his skin, which beset him with a slight layer of frost. Freyr started to shake as he rubbed his arms as he walked.

"Whoo boy! Now that's more like it!" he said before grabbing the deer and lifting it to his back. Madura just looked on in wonder, fascinated at the Nord resistance of frost magic and made a mental note not to bother using it on one unless it was a spike. "Come on, sooner we get back, the sooner we can eat something." He didn't wait for her answer, and instead jogged off in a hurry with the one hundred twenty pound deer on his back. Just in time too, as it was beginning to grow dark.

Freyr was busy stoking the fire, and Madura was busy watching him. The fire reflecting in her dark red eyes was a reflection of her internal feelings as she watched him, smiling slyly. Freyr was oblivious to it, as he was busy putting pieces of salted meat from yesterday's hunt and his mother's left overs on sticks to sit over the fire and slow roast. He found long strong sticks and stuck them in the ground and had them dangle over the fire diagonally. The young Nord was starving and couldn't wait to eat. Madura was hungering for something else. Freyr finally finished setting the food to cook, and sat down on their blanket next to the fire, now that it had chilled somewhat from being dark. "That magic of yours is quite handy. Sometimes I'll take magic scrolls to start a fire or do it the old fashioned way by day. Or not at all, but that leaves the danger of wild animals roaming near me at night. It's nice to be able to just start one at ease whenever."

"Yes, magic changes a lot of things in life…" she said in a melancholic manner. It was surprising enough to make Freyr wonder what she meant, and he was about to ask, but Madura spoke again, changing the subject. "So this is what you've been doing for the past month you were here? Hunting and watching the games? Staying out here all alone, you against a bunch of wild animals?"

"Yes. There would be no difference in that whether I chose to stay in the walls or out. Except the animals outside the walls are honest about being nothing but animals." Madura laughed briefly and put her head up to her knees.

"I think you're being a bit dramatic." She said.

"Perhaps. But I wouldn't know any of them anymore than I would that deer you killed. So for me there's not much difference. You've been here longer, yet claim to be alone. Is it not the same for you?"

"It's different with you and I. You don't want to know them. I do."

"Well why can't you? There are other Dunmer around. Is there a split between traditional Dunmer and Imperial ones?"

"There is of course. But, that's not all there is. There are other reasons why my people and I don't get along." Madura's eyes were downcast, and she tilted her head away from Freyr.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not at this moment. What about you? Any reason why you don't get along with your kind here?" she asked after turning her head to him.

"That answer is simple. The real Nords are either back at home or in Bruma, where I had hoped we'd stay. These milkdrinkers don't like being reminded of where they came from, in case they are to be embarrassed when seen with me by the other milkdrinkers. Either that or they're ashamed for forgetting their roots and becoming weak, I dunno. But I've made no friends here. But I suppose I started losing mine anyway back home."

"And how did you do that?" Freyr looked to Madura slowly, wondering if he should say anything further. Wondering if he could trust her, or if she would look at him differently for what he had to say.

"I don't know. If I should say anything. I mean. I mean…it's…dark. I don't know if you'd trust me after saying it." Madura put her hand over Freyr's neck and pulled his head so he would face her.

"You murdered someone. Didn't you?" Freyr's face twisted with confusion, more from her lackadaisical look than anything else.

"H-how did you…"

"I could tell by your look. You have the look of a killer. More than just a warrior. A darkness in your look. I recognize it…You and I are more alike than you think…" Freyr felt a chill go up his spine at her assumption, and how spot on it was. There was some darkness in him that he could feel. Although he wondered if that darkness was merely guilt. Guilt for not feeling guilty rather than for the actual deed.

"Who did you kill?" she asked. She was thoroughly intrigued. She had a feeling that Freyr was more than he seemed, and she was glad that her assumptions were correct.

"Well, there's no use in hiding it now. It was another Nord boy. Jorr Stonearm. I found him one day just outside of Windhelm with a girl I was involved with. Her name was Amilla. Imperial. Mother already didn't like her for that, so when she found out her and I were no longer together for killing this boy in front of her, she had mixed feelings. I saw them kissing on the bridge into the city. So I took my axe and dropped it on his skull right before her and tossed his body below in the icy waters to feed the mudcrabs. She understandably never forgave me, not that I seeked it. She conveniently forgot that she was the one to instigate it. That of course didn't matter to the law, but father paid for my bail. It cost him quite a bit of gold, but he had a good deal saved away from his years as an adventurer. Anyway, we moved to Solitude to get away from all of it."

"How did your father take it?"

"We don't talk about it. Neither does my mother. As far as they're concerned, it never happened. People here would probably think that is normal in Skyrim, but it is not. Normally we'd challenge someone to a duel if it was worth killing over. But I wasn't in a rational state of mind." Madura could tell from the look he was giving the fire that he still hurt over the girl and how things turned out. She scooted closer to him now, and slowly moved a grey hand to his pale muscular thigh suggestively, feeling slightly fearful, yet excited at the same time being near someone who killed in cold blood. Freyr's heart started to pump at an increasing rate as he turned his head slowly to meet her eyes. He would have asked why it was that she didn't seem moved by the tale he just told her, but those dark red eyes of hers were so hypnotizing and seductive. And yet, the fire reflecting in them still reminded him of what she said about them not being so different. The memory gave him an ominous feeling even though she looked so damn sexy. Maybe that feeling was a part of it. Perhaps the darkness in her was something that he sensed in her as well.

"Madura, I-"

"What is it, Mer-Killer?" she said, smiling up at him with her pleading eyes. "Still worried that you don't know enough about me? Isn't that half the excitement? Besides…intimacy brings understanding. Let me…help you get your mind off that girl." Freyr didn't know what it was about her, but Madura made him powerless to do anything but obey. Madura stood up now and walked by the fire. When she turned around, the hungry look in her eyes was almost enough to startle Freyr. Almost. When she walked over to him, she stood over his lap, legs spread and she brought her waist to Freyr's face. "You know what to do with that, don't you?" She didn't wait for him to answer. She grabbed his hand and pushed it to her warm center, letting him explore it how he saw fit while her dress was still on. And explore he did.

Freyr put his left hand to Madura's ass, pushing her closer till she had to hold onto his head for support as he started rubbing her moistening core. Madura smiled and pushed his head back to make him see her looking at him as he pleased her. Watching her watch him as she gasped was something like being trapped on a spider web, unable to move or look away. Freyr had never been more afraid to be with her now than ever before. He was going over the edge now, mating with a mer. Wulfharth was likely rolling in his grave. _"If my mother found out…"_ he thought. But something about that hot and wet core at the tip of his fingers made him not give two skeevers if his mother found out. In fact, the thought only made him want to have her more.

After a while Madura broke away to take off her dress in front of him slowly. She turned around and undid the strings on her corset, and let it drop as she stood by the fire. Once it did she walked back to him again in the same exact fashion as before, standing over his lap. "Again." She said smiling as she bit her lip. She loved the thought that she was teaching this boy something new. She could tell he wasn't a virgin, but she knew he hadn't made love quite the way she was about to show him, and nothing brought her more pleasure than the thought that she would be tainting this youth. Taking away the mother's boy and making him hers. She too didn't give a damn if Freyr's mother found out. In fact, she found herself wishing she did. In excruciating detail. "Come to mama."

Freyr did as he was told, this time moving his fingers into her as he looked into her dark red eyes again. She brought her hand up for him to see and ran her fingers up and down to mimic his actions, except she started running her fingers along like a man running upside down. He got her meaning. As her moaning increased from his mimicking her example, so did Freyr's tempo. The young Nord loved the warmth of her insides on him and how it felt to have her drip down his hands and how she was rocking on it, as did she clearly, and in the heat of it she pulled his fingers out and pushed his head to her waist. Freyr looked like he was unsure of himself at first, but her insistence settled the matter. Freyr gave in and buried his face in her center, savoring the feel of her hidden skin on his tongue as he flicked at the outside before pushing his tongue in.

He tested it out first, not having done this before with his last lover. Madura could tell he liked it, as he dived right in, and she had to pull back from the intensity. "Ooh, Freyr, not so hard. Go slow and steady. That's it." She said as she pulled her head back. She had one hand on his head to help him in his motions and another on her breast as she played around with her hardened nips. She started to rock against his tongue now as she felt him slip further inside her with it. The Nord boy had quite a large tongue. He could probably touch the tip of his nose with it, she thought as she started to laugh in the midst of it. She pushed herself further on him and had to pull away before she got too excited on him. Before he could protest, she brought his fingers used on her before and brought them in her mouth, sucking at them suggestively to give him an idea of what she had in mind next.

She pulled on his arms to make him stand. As he did, she quickly got to her knees and wasted no time in helping him unbuckle his belt and straps. When it was finally loose, Freyr held his greaves up, making her get impatient. Eventually she quickly tugged at it, thinking he was shy, but she soon saw that wasn't the case as what she was looking for sprung out at her. She seemed surprised to Freyr, and she was. She wasn't used to the anatomy of men, and hadn't expected such a welcoming. She quickly grasped him with her little grey hands, licking at him lightly from under as he towered over her head in more ways than one. Eventually after flickering at his tip, she took him in, and he grabbed the back of her head as she did. She made little moaning sounds as she went to her task. Using her hands to please him as she went, Madura pulled off and put the back of her tongue over him, then continued on, slightly faster. Freyr's eyes opened in surprise at the switch, this being much better than what he had experienced in the past. If Madura could read his thoughts, she would have said over eighty years of youth would do that.

Eventually when she could tell he was near, she started to slack off him, but he insisted with his hand on her head that she continue, and she could hear him whispering. "No, please. Don't. I promise I'll…" She didn't let him finish as she got his meaning. She picked up the tempo and started to twist her head as she went down on him, and soon that was too much for Freyr to take, as she soon found out when he let himself go. He let out a loud groan and he started to spasm slightly as he finished in her. Yet she hadn't stopped. She took all of him in and kept up her actions, knowing that his youth would have him ready to continue very soon. And she was right. Seeing this, she leaned back and turned around to get on her knees and hands. Afterwards she put a hand under herself between her legs to spread herself, showing the pink of her rose.

"Slay me, _Mer-Killer_." She said, laughing as she did. But she wasn't laughing long, as Freyr took the challenge seriously and brought himself in her before she knew it. She was unused to it and was uncomfortable at first, but soon got over it as she opened up more and more for him. Freyr let out a long groan when he did, and soon both were out of their minds, yelling into the night air. It had gotten chilly enough for them to see their breath, which made Madura's nipples very hard, a fact that wasn't lost upon Freyr as he grasped them while he repeatedly speared in from behind her. Madura's voice had gotten louder and Freyr sped up after grabbing onto her shoulders to grip. Then he pushed her down so he could lean in close to her for more powerful strokes. To which Madura was plainly grateful for. Freyr could feel himself about to finish and knew that Madura already had, so he flipped her over and brought her legs up over his shoulders as he worked to finish himself. His hands were on the blanket holding himself up as he pushed in. Madura was crushing his head with her feet by now which only urged him on further. She released herself again just before he did, her scream almost scaring Freyr when she did. Freyr kept going for a while after he finished, then finally pulled off after his passion had faded. His face was stunned with the feeling of being so thoroughly drained and satisfied. Madura's expression was similar to his.

Now that their lust was sated, Freyr had felt extremely guilty, yet very right at the same time. Now that he had released himself in her, he felt that he had reached the point of no return and there was no use in fighting it any longer. He had tasted the forbidden fruit, and now she was a part of him. And she could sense it too. See it in his eyes. The one thing that was playing in her mind the entire time was that he had killed not for money or gold, but for love. This was an impressionable boy, and if she played her cards right, she could make him hers for good. Someone who kills for love is exceptionally clingy and jealous. Which is exactly what she wanted. Like a spider stringing up her meal. He would be hers, and she would be his. Soon.

Freyr had brought a bedroll, but both of them were too tired to even move from that spot, so Madura just took the blanket and they rolled up in it until Madura was wrapped tightly on top of her new young lover. She sucked at his neck for a while and soothed him to sleep. Just before he passed away into the realm of dreams, she said, "Still think we don't know eachother well enough? I think we know everything we need to right now, don't you?" Freyr was clearly in no position to disagree he realized as he shook his head and drifted off, wrapped up snuggly in the spider's web. He woke up slightly a few minutes later when he realized the meat was still on the fire.

"The food's gonna burn." He said.

"Fuck it. Let it burn." She replied, then they both drifted back to sleep.


End file.
